Planting machine



P 1935- V I. POMIERANIEC 2,009,785

PLANTING MACHINE Filed 001N 13, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l Patented July 30, 1935 UNITED 5 PLANTING PATENT oF Fics Israel PomieraniemLondon, England, assignor to Transpla'nters" (Holding Company) Ltd, London, England Application 0ctober'13, 1931, Serial No. 568,638- In Great Britain October 27, 1980 volai'msf (01. 111-4) within this frame are two endless parallel conthe soil.

It is an object of the present invention to providean improved planting machine having in creased facilities for feeding the plantsfrom both sides of the machine. Thus twice as manyoperatorscan be employed as can conveniently be employed in the usualtype of planting'machine. The, dangerv of .missing places in the series of plant carrying devices and so getting faulty spacing of the. plants is thereby minimized. 7

According to the present invention, 1' provide aplanting machine having devices for carrying the plants to the soil. and in whichcthe saiddevices are soarranged'that they move in two separaterows at the plant receiving position and in a singlerow 'at the plant setting position.

Briefly, andin the preferred embodiment thereof the planting machine of the present invention includes an endless band or chain to which plant holding devices are pivoted in a manner to fall into alternate lateral [plant receiving position so as to form .two rows when inpla'nt, receiving position, together .withmeans for swinging the plant holding devices from the plant receiving position into a single row substantiallydn the vertical plane of motion of the endless band, as 'the latter moves, to deposit the plantsk in a single row, I

The invention will be best understoodfrom a study of the following 7 description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein: J Figure 1 is a side elevational' view with parts omitted and illustrating an application of the invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary top plan viewillustrating features of the invention hereinafter more fully referred to. i p I Figure 3 is a fragmentary detail view partly in section and partly in elevation illustrating the gripping device. a 1 i Figure 4 is aside elevational view of the planting machine. a Figure 5 is a top plan viewof the same.

Referring to the drawings by reference numerals it will be seen that a suitable wheel suppqrtedirame isprovidedand suitably mounted veyors I to each of which are suitably secured an endless series of trays 4 as shown. The conveyors I are trained over driving wheels 3 mounted at the sides of the frame as best shown in Figure 4. Further these endless conveyors I move over oppositely disposed platforms 5 mounted at opposite sides of the frame between the rollers? as shown in'Figure 5. Any suitable mechanism such as the chain and sprocket gearing illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 may be employed for driving the conveyors I from the traction wheels of the frame. I

Mounted between the endless conveyors I is an endless band I trained over sprocket wheels 8 and 9 mounted on shafts Cand F extending transversely of the frame. These shafts are driven by chain and sprocket means from the traction wheels as shown. The band i is composed of a series of pairs of links I3, Hi, the links of each pair being connected at their ends with the links of an ad- .iacent pair by bolts or pins 5! engageable with thenotches I2 oi the wheels 3 and 9 for transmitting movement of the wheels to the endless band 1. V

Further, and as best shown in Figure 3, each link I4 has extending. in a planenormal thereto an arm merging into spaced parallel lateral projections i5.

a Each gripping device includes a pair of including an arm E6 and an arm Ill. As shown in' Figure 3 the arm It has one end pivoted between the projections IS as at H while the arm i5 has an end overlapping the pivotedend oi the j arm I8 and connected with said pivoted end of the arm It by a pivot pin I9 disposed at right angles to the pivot pin E7 to thereby permit lateralmovement of the arm 16 relative to .the arm I8. It will-thus be seen that the arm I8 is capable of rotating about the pin Ii into a position either at right angles to the endless conveyor 1 orinto a position substantially in the plane of movement of the conveyor I'l.

It will be further noted that'the arms l5 and {8 are not quite straightbut are bowed somewhat so that their ends may come together. At their free ends, the arms It, IS are respectively provided with cooperating gripping jaws 2t, 2|

disposed substantially at right angles to the T plane of relative movement of the arms Iii, i8. At'their pivoted ends the arms I6, I8 are enlarged and internally recessed to accommodate a spring 22' disposed about the pin I9. One end of, .the. spring is secured to the arm I8 and the arms I other end of the spring is secured to the arm IS. The spring is tensioned so as to normally hold the arm I8 closed upon the arm l6 so that the jaws 20, 2| are together in gripping position.

An angular U-shaped lever 26 straddles the arms l6 and I8 and at the open end of the U the sides of the lever are pivoted to the arm l8 as at 21. At the closed end of the U each lever 26 is provided with a depending projection 28 used in causing an opening or separation of the arms l6, I8 in a manner hereinafter more fully referred to, it being sufficient to note at this time that the depending portions 28 of the levers 2B bear against guide members 24.

Guides 24 are arranged at opposite sides of the endless band I and between the points K and L (Figure 2) each guide is straight and parallel with the endless conveyors l and 1 and are sufficiently close to the vertical plane through the endlesss conveyor to be laterally contacted by the guide pins or projections 28 in a manner to make use of these pins or projections 28 for normally retaining the arms [6 and I8 spread apart. From the point L onward to the point M the guides 24 extend in a direction away from the endless band 1 so as to relieve pressure on the depending extensions or pins 28 and thus permit the arms I8 to move toward the arms I5 for closing the gripping devices under action of the springs 22.

From the point M to the return bends the guides 24 converge inwardly so that with the projections 28 bearing against the inner sides of these portions of the guides the gripping devices are constrained to rotate about the pins l1 until they are parallel with and in substantial alignment with the endless conveyors.

When the pins or projections 28 engage the guides 24 at approximately the point N (Figure 1) said pins so cooperate with the guides as to cause a movement of the arms l8 of the gripping devices away from the arms I6 for opening the gripping devices and thus free the plants carried thereby in order that the plants may be deposited in the furrow.

The operation of the machine is as follows:

The machine is moved forward by any suitable motive power and as the machine moves forward drive is transmitted from the traction wheels to the endless conveyors I and 1. Normally the plant holding devices are disposed as shown in Figure 2 in alternate lateral plant receiving position with the jaws of the plant devices open or spread apart to receive the grip therebetween the plants lying on the trays 4.

As the machine and the endless bands move along the plant holding devices, in the manner previously explained, are caused to gradually close upon the plants and to swing from the lateral plant receiving position to a substantially vertical position, that is to say, to a position substantially in the plane of movement of the band I, with the plants positively secured or held by the plant holding devices.

As the plant holding devices in a single row move downwardly with the band 1 toward the ground, the holding devices are successively opened in a manner hereinbefore explained for depositing the plants in a single row. Upon their return the gripping devices are gradually fully opened and fall into alternate lateral receiving position for repeating the cycle of operation just described.

In connection with the above it will be noted that although the plant holding devices are spaced relatively closely together along the upper run or stretch of the endless band 1 they are so spaced apart as they pass around the wheel 9 so as to insure the correct planting distances for the plants.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A planting machine including in combination an endless series of plant holding devices mounted to move in an endless path, said holding devices normally lying in lateral plant receiving position and movable from said lateral plant receiving position to a position substantially in the vertical plane of movement of the devices along said endless path, means connecting said devices for movement along said endless path and means forswinging said devices from said first position to the second named position incidental to a movement of said devices.

2. A planting machine as claimed in claim 1, and wherein the means connecting said devices consists of an endless band, supporting means for said band, and means for driving said band.

3. A planting machine including a frame, an endless carrier mounted thereon, plant holding devices pivoted thereto to fall into alternate lateral plant receiving position and means on said frame for converging said plant holding devices as the carrier moves, to deposit the plants in a single row.

4. A planting machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the means connecting said devices consist of an endless band, supporting means for the band, means for driving the band, and said band having a plurality of arms, and means pivotally connecting said-devices to the extremities of said arms.

5. A planting machine as claimed in claim 1 in which the plant carrying devices are carriedby an endless band with a plurality of arms on the extremities of which the carrying devices pivot, and guides are provided for causing the plant carrying devices to swing inwardly at the forward part of the travel so that they assume a position substantially in the vertical plane of motion of the band and hang vertically at the lowest part of their travel.

6. A planting machine as claimed in claim 1 in which the plant carrying devices are carried by an endless band with a plurality of arms on the extremities of which the carrying devices pivot, and guides. are provided for causing the plant carrying devices to swing inwardly at the forward part of the travel so that they assume a position substantially in the vertical plane of motion of the band and hang vertically at the lowest part of their travel; the said guides being so shaped and arranged as to maintain the gripping devices in laterally projecting position along the upper straight portion of their travel but to cause them to assume a position radial to the wheel over which the said band passes as they travel round the wheel and thereafter to return them to laterally projecting position.

7. A planting machine including a frame, an endless carrier mounted thereon, plant holding devices pivoted thereto to fall into lateral plant receiving position, and means on said frame for swinging the plant holding devices from said lateral plant receiving position to a position substantially in the vertical plane of motion of the carrier, as the carrier moves, to deposit the plants in'a row. 7

ISRAEL POMIERANIEC. 

